This week Cleaning Up is back in Brussels, with a deep dive into European energy policy as the continent grapples with the reality of ambitious climate targets, very high energy prices and the vulnerabilities of first Russia's attack on Ukraine, and Israel and the US's recent attack on Iran. Michael Liebreich sits down with a rising star of the European Parliament, Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, for a timely conversation at the intersection of energy, geopolitics, and climate strategy.

What begins as a discussion on EU energy policy quickly broadens into a much bigger conversation: a blueprint for Europe’s survival in a volatile world. Thomas argues that the war in Ukraine is not just about territory, it’s about Europe’s future. And one of the main battlefields? Energy. The key to peace, he says, lies in breaking Russia’s ability to turn oil and gas into power, through a global transition to clean energy.

From the inner workings of EU policymaking to the struggle between fossil fuel interests and the Green Deal, this episode dives into:

Why Europe must electrify for its own peace and security
The political battles shaping the future of EVs, nuclear, and renewables
Whether Europe can compete with China and the U.S. in clean tech
The concept of an “electro-democracy” alliance
Why energy independence may be the only path to freedom

Leadership Circle:

Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live

Links and more:

Thomas’ Bio: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/256903/THOMAS_PELLERIN-CARLIN/home
The 130 Trillion-Dollar Man - Ep84: Mark Carney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtA5ufMzKAU
The Dane who Harnessed the Wind - Ep139: Henrik Stiesdal: https://youtu.be/7rjuZ_aCsFQ